Transparent Lies
by JustaFanGrell
Summary: Don't you just HATE IT when two people are obviously in love with each other, yet REFUSE to admit it?
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello again, Dearies! Surprise! Another story! I know that many (hopefully) are eagerly awaiting the next installment of "One Dark and Stormy Night', but I have hit a block of immense proportions! So to reset my mind, I wrote this for my best friend Garnet Kitsune!**_

_****DISCLAIMER****_

_**I do not own nor claim any rights to any characters from Clamp's Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles.  
Heck- I don't even own the OC in this story- She belongs to Garnet Kitsune and is being used only with her gracious approval! I hope you like this one!**_

She watched him from across the small yard from where she sat under the tree, reclined against the trunk, feet crossed at the ankles, and nose seemingly stuck in a book. She never seemed to tire of watching him as he seamlessly and gracefully moved through the various practice moves with his sword, the picture of masculine health and vitality.

He ignored her as he practiced, focusing all his energy and attention on perfecting the many stances and moves. Every so often, a turn or twist would bring her back into his field of view, and those brief moments threatened to derail his concentration.

When he had met her, his first impression had not been a positive one- she came across as annoying, pushy, insanely negative, and across-the-board irritating… not to mention so shy she could hardly make eye contact with anyone when she spoke except that damn mage. _Annoying bastard._

Over time and with each passing world, his impression of her had started to change. She had begun to relax and be more outgoing… at least towards the others. He found it somewhat endearing that even now, she still couldn't talk freely with him or even look his way without blushing and getting nervous. He also knew that there was little chance that she had even the slightest idea of which book she held in her hands, much less what page it was open to. He chuckled at the thought.

He always knew whenever she was watching him, even though every time she tried desperately to hide the fact that she had looked his way. He had even begun to enjoy knowing that she was watching him in the mornings and had taken to removing his shirt before starting, to free his upper body for the complex movements of course, and because he always worked up a sweat. He couldn't suppress the smile that crept onto his face at the thought of her reaction if she found out that he could see past her ruse.

Every morning lately, she had made it a point to get up early and 'read' a book outside, hoping to catch him doing his exercises. Her crush on him had started innocently enough… even before she had joined their adventures… back when she first stumbled upon the series of manga that told part of their story.

It had been a dream-come-true that day when she was summoned to the Time Witch's shop and dropped into her yard the exact day that everything had started. It was her dream… but it had also been a curse. Her usually shy nature kicked into overdrive and she closed herself off to them, refusing to speak to anyone except Fai, who she now considered her big brother. He had been easy to talk to since the very beginning. Over time she had begun to open up to the others too… all except him.

Every time she looked at him, a weird feeling would begin to creep into her core… one that she had not felt before and was somewhat afraid of. She would begin to get a fluttery-feeling in her stomach, and small chills would dance across her arms and back. Anytime he was near, her nerves would wrestle control away from her brain and she would be unable to even think straight.

But those times were beginning to lessen in frequency as she became more accustomed to his presence. _Time still hasn't lessened my idiotic response to just the sight of him…_ she thought as she peered over the top of her book at him again. _What the hell is WRONG with me?! Why can't I even talk to him without making an idiot of myself? It's not like he even notices me… I'm just something else in his way to annoy him._ She sighed heavily, beginning to get angry about it all. _I don't even like him! He hardly gives me the time of day and is always mean! _

'_Then why do you go out of your way every morning to watch him?'_ that stupid inner voice of hers asked. '_If you hate him so much, why do you get that funny feeling when you just LOOK at him? And don't even think about how you freak out when he just talks to you!'_

_SHUT UP! It's not like I LOVE him or anything! (Is it? OH GODDESS… what if I DO?! What THEN?) It's not like he would even BOTHER to be interested in someone like ME… he's WAY out of my league… if I even HAD a league. Wait… why the hell am I even THINKING about this?!_

She could feel her face flush as she sighed again while looking longingly at her Knight in Shinning… sweat. Glorious, beautiful, shining, slippery…

_ARGH! STOP IT! Quit thinking… things… and those… other things! Oh Goddess I'm completely hopeless!_

He completed his ritual, sheathed his sword, and strode purposefully towards her.

She tried to focus with all her might on the book in her hands, hoping he wouldn't notice how rattled she was. Her heart was racing, and she was certain even HE could hear its pounding. _CALM DOWN or he WILL notice! _She told herself silently_. _She forced her breathing to remain steady and watched him out of the corner of her eye as he fluidly bent at the waist (_Oh MY.. those ABS, that BACK…) _ and picked up the towel that he had casually tossed out of the way before he began. The morning sun glinted off of his sweat-covered, sculpted back and his muscles rippled as he retrieved the towel.

Her heart threatened to break out of her chest and dance down the counter to the show tune 'Ragtime Doll' complete with top hat and cane like that scene from 'Aliens'.

He turned and walked back to the house seemingly ignoring her as usual. He felt her eyes follow him the whole way, and something inside him was glad of it. He really didn't need to practice every day, but part of him enjoyed putting on the show for her. He smirked at the idea that he liked knowing that she watched him.


	2. Chapter 2

"You know… you'll have to face it someday, Kuro-burro. You should get it over with, accept it, and deal with it, before you give the poor girl a heart attack." Fai casually said, as Kurogane came back into the house for his shower.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about!" Kurogane snapped back, adding a dirty look for good measure as he strode past him headed for the bathroom and a cold shower.

"Yes you do… You just can't bring yourself to admit it, YET. But don't string her along… it's not fair to either of you. Best to get it out in the open and then deal with what comes of it." Fai sighed, annoyed that the two of them could be such hard-headed, blind, idiots when it came to each other. _Just get it over with already, kiss, and move on with life! GAHHH!_

Kurogane pretended to just ignore Fai's advice as he continued down the hall, but his mind was filled with nothing but the thoughts of her and the promise of relief he might feel once he just confronted it all. If he even could. _ARGH! Get outa my damn head, girl! _But it was no use… his mind wouldn't let her go so easily. Even the ice cold shower did little to alter his thoughts as his aggravation over it all increased. _Maybe that stupid idiot of a wizard might actually be right._ He fought back the urge to punch the tiled wall of the shower, and tried to force himself to accept what he didn't want to, what he had fought for so long… the simple fact that he really did love her.

As he dried off and dressed from the shower, he steeled himself for the confrontation he knew was the right thing to do. He had to do it. It was past time to. The damn mage was _RIGHT…_ it wasn't fair to go on like this. He threw on his pants and draped the towel over his shoulders, drying his coal-black hair as he left the bathroom.

Jessi had waited under the tree for a good while, trying to let her mind go blank and not wanting to seem too eager to follow him back into the house. That would be too embarrassing to bear. She got up, brushed the leaves off her pants and wandered back into the house, trying to act nonchalant about the whole thing.

As she headed down the hall to her room, the one person she didn't want to see walked out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel and magnificently SHIRTLESS. She almost ran into him, but managed to slam on the breaks just in time to avoid an embarrassing collision.

"Oi! Watchit!" he shouted, reacting instinctively.

"Agh! "she yelled back in surprise, dropping her book in the process and turning beet-red.

He bent over and retrieved the book for her, pausing to look at the cover art before handing it back to her. "Sorry about that." he said as he offered her the book. "Didn't mean to startle ya. Another romance?" he asked, not even thinking about what he just said until it was too late. _AGH! What the hell! Ya IDIOT! You'll just embarrass her even MORE! _

She bowed her head almost shamefully, allowing her long hair to shield her red face from his sight before snatching the book from his hand. "So what if it is or isn't! Why would YOU care anyway?" she snapped at him, her nerves gluing her to the spot when she so desperately wanted to flee to her room.

He was a little shocked at the strength of her response, but couldn't blame her for being embarrassed or mad. HE was the idiot this time, and he knew it.

"HEY! I just…" he started to say, but then paused. "I didn't mean-" but she cut him off mid-thought.

"Just… leave me alone!" she yelled. Finally able to move her feet, she turned to escape to the safety of her room, but Kurogane had other plans.

His hand shot out and slammed the wall just in front of her as she turned to run. "Wait!" he forcefully said. "Just… don't run." He added, his voice softening to almost a plead. "I hate it when you run."

She stopped just shy of his arm and froze, not daring to turn or look at him as she felt tears begin to form and her heart raced dangerously yet again. He smelled wonderfully clean with a slight hint of soap and shampoo. She bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut; trying to maintain her already slipping control yet said nothing in response. She simply stood there, looking every bit as defeated as she felt, arms hanging by her side, the book in her hand forgotten.

He tried to find the words he wanted to say, but they eluded him, dancing away just as he thought he could say them. He started to speak but stopped before any words came out several times. He finally took a deep breath and sighed, all the frustration draining from him and taking most of his energy with it.

"Turn around and look at me…" he asked gently, reaching up and taking her chin in his rough hand as if to guide her. He felt her resistance, but didn't force the point; he simply kept a light pressure so as to not push her as he waited. "Please."

She fought his hand but for a moment before giving in and slowly turning to face her greatest fear.

With his other hand, he reached down from where he had hit the wall and gently moved her hair back from her face, tucking it gently behind her ear before lifting her chin so he could see her beautiful light hazel eyes that were now brimming with tears.

Even though some part of her allowed him to do these things, her eyes still refused to look at him, choosing instead to focus on the power outlet on the wall behind him, as if focusing there could cause this all to just go away by sheer will alone.

"Jessica… " he gently said, as his thumb tenderly brushed away the first tear to fall. He sighed again and leaned towards her, his forehead coming to a rest propping him against the wall just over her shoulder.

Suddenly her whole world consisted of nothing but his presence… everything else fell away to oblivion. She had felt the first tear slip from the corner of her eye and she feared it would let loose the flood of tears that were piling up behind it. Then the tenderness with which he brushed it away as he said her name caused her heart to skip a beat. She could feel the warmth of his bare chest as he leaned towards her, heightening the internal conflict between her overriding panic and the love that she had denied herself for too long.

He took her into his arms, tenderly embracing her as if she were the finest, most delicate, and precious thing in the world that might shatter into a million pieces at any moment. He was surprised when she didn't fight him but instead melted into his arms, her long forgotten book clattering to the floor.

In that single moment of his embrace, something inside her snapped, and she felt her willpower dissolve away. She leaned into his embrace, her repressed feelings washing over her in a sudden wave threatening to drown her in her own love for him. The dam broke, and her tears began to fall silently onto his bare shoulder, and a sob caught in her throat.

"I can't deny it any longer… he gently whispered into her ear. "I love you."


	3. Chapter 3

_Hulloo again!  
I know… I know…  
Where have I been?!  
SWAMPED! That's where! But I'm BAACK!  
And so is our story- here's the next installment!  
THANK-YOU for being patient with me-  
and for those of you eagerly awaiting the next chapter of One Dark and Stormy Night…  
__please continue to be patient a little longer?_

_I'm working on it! "Life happens when you're trying to WRITE!"  
~JustaFanGrell~_

Transparent Lies

Ch. 3

"_I love you."_

Those three words snapped her brutally back into reality. In an instant, the situation she was in dawned on her, and she realized she had to get away…NOW. Her hands flew to his chest and she tried to shove him away. She might as well have tried to shove a rhino.

Kurogane held his ground and would not relinquish his hold on her, hoping that she would calm down and not run again, but his heart knew better… and he realized his mistake almost instantly.

Encountering his resistance only made her panic more, and she fought back with renewed strength. "LET ME GO! I HATE YOU!" she instinctively screamed at him, her panic overriding everything as she shoved him even harder. Her mind had nearly gone blank… a single panicked thought repeated through her mind: _I have to get away… I have to get away… I have to get away…_

All he wanted to do was hold her, calm her fears, help her to understand what was in his heart… but he also knew that she was way beyond that possibility now. All he could do was the last thing on earth he wanted to do… so he let go.

He let go of her, of his hope, of his love, of a future together, of the possibility of ever holding her in his arms again, and she bolted like he knew she would… and she ripped his heart out as she went.

As suddenly as the reality had hit her, he let her go and she shoved him away as best she could before bolting to her room, slamming the door with all her strength in the process. Her tears streamed unimpeded down her cheeks as she leaned against the closed door for support. Her vision was so obscured by them that she almost tripped over a pile of books left casually on the bare wood of the floor as she ran straight to her bed, falling face-first into her pillow and grabbing her favorite stuffed animal in a choke-hold as great sobs continued to wrack her body.

With the slamming of her door, all of his built up emotions peaked at once and he punched the wall out of sheer frustration.

_Great advice, asshole. 'Tell her how you feel.' RIGHT. Well THAT worked out just GREAT, didn't it! Now she HATES me… even more than she did before._

A heavy sadness invaded his entire being and proceeded to just about suck the life right out of him.

Taking a deep breath and resigning himself to the new-found reality that all hope was now lost, he stalked down the hallway and into the kitchen to do what he did best in these situations… attempt to lose himself in as many bottles of sake as he could.

Still sobbing uncontrollably and barely able to think straight, a million questions swirled around in her head, but none of them would come within her grasp. _What the hell was THAT all about? Why did I freak out? Who the hell puts an outlet in the middle of a hallway? Why in the Goddess's name did I HUG him?! Where was his shirt? I wonder what's for dinner… Why do I love such a rude, obnoxious, pain-in-the-ass? Who picked out that boring color for the walls? Why is it so easy for him to embarrass me? _All these questions and many more, yet none would stay in one place long enough for her to think of an answer to any of them.

Just then it hit her, the full weight of it more crushing than if the Tardis had landed on top of her head and just about as shocking.

_WAIT a minute... OH-MY-GODDESS- Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch… HOLD EVERYTHING!_

As clear as a crisp winter morning after a newly-fallen blanket of snowfall, her mind replayed those three simple words that had failed to sink in as he had said them.

"I love you."

The complete and utter surprise she felt at that moment stole the breath from her lungs as surely as a slap to her face would have and she gasped in complete and utter shock.

_There is NO WAY he said that to me… no possible way on this Earth or in this life he would EVER say that to ME._

A look of sheer horror blanketed her tear-stained face as she realized what her final words had been to him.

"I HATE YOU!"

_He professes his love to me… the one thing I wanted most in the whole world, the one hope I have that keeps me going day in and day out through all these crazy adventures, and THAT'S all I could say… I'm an even BIGGER idiot that I could have ever imagined. His love finally lay within my grasp, and I threw it away like some piece of half-rotten garbage. _

The tears and sobs that her sudden realization had caused to cease began anew and with added gusto as her already delicate heart shattered into a million shards and ripped her to pieces.


	4. Chapter 4

_Ahh… Tis that time again! Time for another chapter!  
I wanted to get this out before heading to Star City Anime tomorrow,  
where I will be none other than my own FABULOUS self!  
__I do believe I even get to accompany a SMASHING Fai D. Flourite!  
We shall paint the town such GLORIOUS shades of RED!  
__So enjoy this next chapter- and remember- Follows and Reviews are ALWAYS appreciated!_

_~JustAFanGrell~_

**Transparent Lies Ch. 4**

Fai busied himself with futzing around the laundry room, feeling good about having talked to Kurogane and hopeful that his two friends could work things out.

_Anything would be better than keeping things the way they are now… with everyone ignoring the obvious and walking on egg shells all the time._

He hummed a happy tune to himself as he chased dust bunnies out from behind the clothes dryer as the washer sloshed along, a perfectly timed accompaniment for his song.

He continued tidying up, oblivious to the dramatic events playing out in the hallway on the other end of the house. Content that things in the laundry room were now as they should be, he returned the broom and dustpan to their respective homes in the garage, brushed off his clothes with his hands, and decided to make himself a mid-morning snack.

With a bounce in his step and a smile on his face he merrily headed to the kitchen, his mouth already watering in anticipation of the tasty tidbits to come, his mind running through a mental list of what items were usually available in the pantry for such instances.

The scene that greeted him as he entered the kitchen stopped him in his tracks, the bounce of his step suddenly gone, and quickly erasing the smile from his face. The samurai was parked on a stool on the other side of the counter, four rather large bottles of sake within reach (one of which was already empty) and looking down-right murderous. Fai's face blanched as he looked at his friend and wondered what could have gone so wrong in the short amount of time since they spoke to have him like this so early in the day.

"Um, Kuro-kins? What's wrong?" Fai gingerly asked, hesitant to poke the beast he knew dwelled just under Kuro's surface, trusting his gut feeling that this was not going to end well and attempting to tread very lightly.

Looking up from his now-empty sake glass Kuro growled as his friend entered the kitchen and reached for the next bottle in line, refilling his glass.

"Kurogane-san?" Fai gingerly inquired again, concern for his friend tainting his voice.

"What the hell do you want?!" the samurai growled back before tilting the glass and drinking the entire contents in one shot, slamming the hand holding the cup back down onto the counter with more than enough force to make the wizard jump.

Fai felt the bottom of his stomach drop away as easily as if a lever had been pulled on a trap door. _This is worse than I thought…_ Pulling one of the stools around to the counter opposite the samurai, Fai sat down and looked closely at Kurogane trying to assess the situation. "Please… tell me what happened, maybe I can help."

"I think you have done more than enough already, ya idiot!" Kurogane snarled back. "This never would have happened if it wasn't for YOU and your damn suggestions!"

Fai was shocked at the sheer amount of vitriol in Kurogane's words and it took him a second or two before he put 2 and 2 together, finally realizing exactly what he was getting at. "Tell me… tell me everything." he gently asked, his concern showing on his face.

Kurogane downed another glass of sake before sighing deeply, looking down at the empty glass and rolling it absentmindedly back and forth in his hand as the earlier events in the hallway played through his mind for what seemed like the hundredth time. Finally realizing that ignoring it wasn't going to make it any better, he began to tell Fai what had happened.

"… and now she HATES me. Really hates me… more than she ever did before." Kurogane filled his glass one last time, emptied it all in one shot, and looked at his friend, his pain very plain to see.

"You should go and check on her, make sure she doesn't do anything stupid or anything. She always runs to YOU anyway!" _ DAMNIT… why can't __I__ be the one she runs to?! Why is it always HIM? _He looked into the empty glass. All that remained of three bottles of sake was a drop or two in the very bottom. _HMPH_… _ Just like my heart..._ _and_ a_ll I ever wanted was to love her, yet now… _

Fai listened to all Kuro had to say, his own heart aching for his friend's pain. _It can't be as bad as he makes it sound… _the mage hoped, _He's just very upset over what happened… and I'm sure it will work out fine… just another of their miss-understandings to be sure. _He also noticed how Kuro despised the fact that Jessi always flew to Fai when upset over just about anything. _I bet he wanted her to fly into HIS arms for comfort all those times before… _

So when Kurogane asked him to go check on her, he knew things were far worse than he had first thought.

After cutting his friend off once the samurai had finished the third bottle, Fai cleaned up, putting away the last bottle, placing the glass in the sink, and the empties in the recycling bin. As he rounded the end of the counter on the way to check on Jessi, he placed a hand gingerly on the shoulder of his friend.

"It will work out, Kuro-san… don't give up all hope yet." He gave Kurogane a few brief pats on the back for comfort and headed out in the direction of Jessi's room.


	5. Chapter Fai

_Time again for another chapter in our story!  
This one's a bit shorter, but well worth the read!  
Many thanks to those of you who have read and reviewed my work! Keep the reviews coming!  
For those who have read and haven't reviewed- please consider it! I love to hear from those  
who read my work!  
~JustaFanGrell~ (Look for me on Facebook!)_

**Transparent Lies Ch. Fai ** _(TeeHeeHee! ~JFG~)*_

He could hear her sobs even before he reached the bathroom door halfway down the hall. He paused at that point, grounding and centering himself for the emotional barrage that would inevitably drain him of most of his energy by the time he could calm her down… she always did that to him, but he had learned early on to expect it and prepare for it.

As he opened his eyes to continue to her room, he couldn't help but notice the large, Kuro-fist-shaped indentation in the drywall of the hallway. The corners of his mouth dropped into a frown.

_This is indeed worse than I thought, to have awoken the Kuro-beastie and spurred him into violence where Jessi-chan is concerned..._

A sense of dread sunk deeply into his heart as her sobs abruptly stopped, the almost deafening silence not helping assuage his fears. He hurried down the rest of the hallway, a new sense of urgency driving him. As he reached her door, her sobs began anew, but this time they sounded more desperate and pained than before.

He reached out his hand and tried the doorknob only to find it locked and his chest tightened with panic. _Calm down, she always locks the door when she's upset, you know that. _He took a deep breath and gently knocked on the door, hoping she heard it over her crying.

"Jessi-chan? It's your big brother… Let me in please- we can talk about whatever has you upset… or not… your choice. Just let me in, ok?" he pleaded, hoping that she would give in like usual and open the door for him. He waited patiently in the hallway, the moments endlessly dragging on, his forehead resting against the cool painted wood of her door, his hand still resting on the doorknob as he listened to her cry her eyes out alone in her locked room.

Her cries continued unremitting, each sob cutting deeper into his heart. _That's it… I'm tired of waiting!_

He stood back up with a determined look set to his face and took a deep breath. _Forgive me, Jessi-chan, but it's for your own good._

Closing his eyes, his hand hovered just over the doorknob as he mentally recited the words to the simple spell, and moments later there was a faint 'click' of the door's lock sliding open. He paused for another moment before turning the knob and opening the door, steeling his heart against the sight he knew would just about break it.

He quietly entered her room and turned to gently shut her door, the latch faintly clicking as it caught. He had barely turned around when she flew into his arms, hugging him in desperation and sobbing onto his shoulder. His shock at her instant transportation from her bed into his arms was quickly replaced by the pain his heart felt for his 'little sister' and her obviously crushed heart.

His arms tenderly embraced her, his left hand moving to the back of her head and gently stroking her long hair as he tried to calm her. "Shhh, Pookie-chan… It's ok. I've got you now. It's ok… everything will be Fai…" he told her, his soothing voice whispering in her ear as she continued to sob, her constant flood of tears turning his shoulder soggy with the physical manifestation of all the pain in her heart.

They stood like that, Fai tenderly holding her as she cried herself out while desperately clinging to the only person she could ever trust completely, and he waited for her.

He would wait, for as long as it took for her to find her way back out of this dark pit of despair and back to him. Then he would begin to pick up the pieces of her shattered heart… and attempt the impossible.

Try and piece them all back together… and try to salvage the love for Kurogane he knew would still be there.

_* (As in… 1,2,3,4,FAI ! ~JFG~)_


	6. Chapter 6

_The story continues…  
Time for the next chapter!  
I hope you liked the last one and enjoy this one.  
~JustaFanGrell~_

**Transparent Lies Ch. 6**

She hadn't even realized that Fai had entered her room when all of a sudden she found herself in his arms, his soothing voice and gentle touch beginning to penetrate the hopelessness and pain, offering her a beacon of Light in the depths of the darkness of the Hell she was now lost in.

Eventually her sobs began to subside and she was able- with Fai as her lifeline- to drag herself from the darkness and despair back to the Light… back to Fai.

He patiently waited for her as she dealt with the pain and sorrow, allowing her to take all the time she needed to gather the pieces of herself back together. He knew that, in her own time, she would tell him everything… he simply needed to wait for her to be able to. When he felt that she was back in control of herself enough, he guided her across her room to her bed, gently sat her down on the edge, and took a seat next to her, never having let go of her hand the entire time.

He pulled out his handkerchief and began to tenderly dab away her tears, even as new ones replaced them. Eventually he finally found himself making progress against the waning tide of her pain.

She turned slightly and rested her head on his shoulder seeking more comfort, afraid that he might be just a dream that would turn into a nightmare at any moment. She struggled to regain some semblance of composure, knowing that she needed a firm foundation and more courage than she had before giving in and telling him how she had screwed up everything that was good in her life in mere seconds.

_If anyone can find me a reason to go on, Fai will._

While her control slowly began to return, Fai sat silently next to her, continuing to hold her hand and dab at the stray tear every now and again, his concern for her evident in his tender actions and written across his face.

Eventually she decided she was as ready as she would ever be, and if she didn't start talking soon, she never would.

She poured her heart out to him, laying bare again the very emotions that were still so painfully raw. Her eyes remained unfocused, her voice wavering and breaking at times, yet she still managed to stumble her way through recounting the painful memory, reliving those few moments that she was convinced were the end of the only love she would know in her lifetime.

The utter defeat and raw pain of loss he heard in her voice brought back memories of his own. _Now is not the time to remember those. _He told himself, as he returned them to their place deep within his mind and focused on her again.

She paused near the end of her retelling, taking a ragged breath and searching for any last bit of courage she could find in order to tell Fai the final part of the story. "But despite everything…" her voice caught as she tried valiantly not to sob again. "… I still… I still love him. I just had my only chance to tell him how I really feel, and I panicked and ran again, driving the final stake into my own heart by…" she paused, trying her best not to give in and completely loose it again.

Fai gently embraced her, trying to lend her some of his strength for he already knew from his talk with Kurogane what had transpired, but he waited for her to say the words, hoping that the process might help her to better deal with it.

"…by screaming at him 'I HATE YOU!' I screwed up on an epic scale this time, Fai… I RUINED EVERYTHING! I don't know how to even go on… he hates me now. I had my chance for happiness, and I BLEW IT!" With that final admission, the small bit of courage and strength she had managed to gather allowing her to tell him everything vanished, and she collapsed into his waiting arms, utterly drained and completely without hope.

His tender embrace asked for nothing from her in return, he simply held her gently in his arms, wondering how these two could be so blind and so lost on their journey towards one another's arms that each could feel that all hope was lost.


	7. Chapter 7

_It's a TWO-FER WEEKEND!  
Not only did I post a new chapter for _One Dark and Stormy Night_,  
but you get a new chapter on this story too!  
SWEET!  
Hope you enjoy it- and consider following, favoring, or reviewing!  
I love to hear from my Lovelies!  
~JustaFanGrell~_

**Transparent Lies **

**Ch. 7**

She finally sat back up, gently pushing herself away from his embrace. "Thank-you Fai, for being here for me. You always seem to be there when I need you most." She managed a halfway-decent smile for him, hoping to convince him that she was back to herself now.

He gave her a questioning look. Not an _I-don't-believe-a-word-you-said_ kind of look, but more of a general _are-you-completely-sure_ inquiry. She didn't look away, but he could tell that she wasn't completely sure yet. _I'll take that as a positive sign that she will be alright, in time. At least it's better than her usual avoidance tactics. _

Jessi took a long, deep breath, sighing as she clasped her hands nervously in her lap and crossing her ankles in front of herself. Even as drained and tired as this whole ordeal had made her, her mind continued racing along at its normal break-neck speed, refusing to cut her any slack.

_So, what now? _she asked herself, already knowing for certain that she wouldn't like the answer. So instead of answering, she chose to focus on Fai and how she could convince him that she would be ok and try to shoo him out of her room so she could think everything over and weigh her options.

She reached over and gently squeezed her _brother's_ hand. "I'll be Fai…"she said, even managing another smile and chuckle at herself despite the situation.

He too, couldn't help but laugh at the inside joke between them that never seemed to get old, a smile finally coming to his lips for the first time since he had breached her door. "I'm sure you will be." _Given enough time…_

She stood up, pulling him up with her by the hand she still held tightly. Slowly turning to face him, she took his other hand too, both hands now breaching the gap between them. Only then did she feel the strength to look him in the eye and tell him it was ok for him to leave… not quite a lie, but more of a half-truth.

"I think I need some time to think about everything- you know, weigh my options, see where I really stand, all that hoo-ha. It may take a while too, so don't count on me for dinner tonight." She turned and unceremoniously ushered him toward the door, hoping he wouldn't resist and demand to stay longer.

He tried not to resist, but he was still concerned about her well-being and put up a bit of resistance as she just about dragged him towards the door. "Ok, ok! I get the hint…" he said, putting his hands up between them as if to protect himself from her. But I don't like leaving you alone like this. And I especially don't like that you _want_ to skip dinner!"

She chuckled again. "It's not that I _want_ to skip dinner, you know I love your cooking! I just … well… I guess you're _kinda_ right. I just don't want to eat _anything_." She reached out and opened her door for him, trying to impart a strong hint to leave without having to actually be rude about it.

Fai took a few steps towards the open door before turning to speak one last time. "It will all work out, Pookie-chan. Just wait and see… everything will be _Fai_."

She half snorted at him. "The best I can possibly hope for is that it will be _bearable_… I seriously doubt anything will be _Fai_ ever again."

This time it was his turn to sigh as he turned back towards the door, knowing it was the right thing to do, but never the less hating himself for still feeling like he was abandoning her. "I'll come check on you before dinner… maybe your stomach will have changed your mind by then. I can always bring you a tray if you like- you don't have to, you know… make an appearance or anything. Keep it in the back of your mind, Ok? Just in case."

She lovingly shoved him the rest of the way out of her doorway. "I'll keep it in mind. Thanks again…" and with that she closed her door on him and turned, leaning against the cool wood with her back and trying not to think about _anything_.


	8. Chapter 8

Ch. 8

While Fai had gone to 'rescue' Jessi, Kurogane had plenty of time to think about everything. His mind went back in time, thinking about all the things that he liked most about her. Not that he really _wanted_ to, his mind just went there of its own accord. Each thing his mind came up with just reminded him more that it was over. He could still hear her vicious words ringing in his ears, taunting his heart for still loving her anyway despite the cruel words she had thrown in his face.

What he loved most were the odd little quirks about her. Not that he didn't think she was beautiful, he did. He loved her long, chocolate brown tresses, her eyes that were the color of a storm at sea, her single, adorable dimple… He just really loved what made her unique, what set her apart from everyone else.

The things that most others would probably hold against her and say were 'faults' are what drew him too her. Her obsession with books, those adorable little fangs of hers that showed when she smiled, even the way she always had that goofy little bounce in her step, he loved them all.

_And we still have to travel together. Damn it. _

He sighed heavily, knowing that the pain in his heart was there to stay and that he had better get used to it. There was no escaping it- she would be a constant reminder of how he royally screwed up both their lives. The sooner he learned to deal with it, the better off he would be, because he didn't even want to think of the alternative. No matter how painful it would be, he would bear it all just to keep her near.

* * *

As he stepped out of her door, Fai's mind began to think over the situation.

_How can this whole mess be straightened out? CAN it be? Or is it already too late to salvage what is left of both of their hearts? _

He slowly turned and began to make his way back down the hallway towards the kitchen, his mind firmly focused on what possibilities still existed and how he might help fix this mess. A power outlet on the hallway wall caught his eye as he went, and he couldn't help but wonder who in their right mind thought _that_ was a good location for one. He shook his head at the idea and continued down the hallway.

A sudden and loud growl broke his concentration and reminded him of what had brought him to the kitchen in the first place at the beginning of this whole deal- Snack Time.

_Ahh… Yes!_

He rubbed his hands together as he thought of what to fix that might tame the savage beastie inside his belly, at least until dinnertime.

The kitchen felt oddly empty, and it took a moment before he realized why. There was a single stool still pulled out from the bar, the one on which his friend had been perched upon before sending him to see Jessi. The samurai was gone.

Fai sighed deeply as his mind returned to the seriousness of the situation, chastising himself for letting his mind wander off. He slowly pushed the stool back under the counter. He then absentmindedly grabbed an apple off the small pile that lived in a wooden bowl on the counter, buffed it with the bottom of his shirt as he walked into the living room, and plopped unceremoniously onto the overstuffed couch that faced the patio and back yard.

Just as he was lifting the fruit to his lips to take a bite he paused, looking at the apple in his hand and thinking back to that very first world they had journeyed to. He couldn't suppress the chuckle that was brought forth by the memory of the argument they all had shared over what exactly it was- an apple, a pear, a Raki seed… but in the end it really didn't matter what it was, it was still tasty. It had also served to remind them that they really were from different worlds. But despite that fact, they had all become close over time… like some weird, mutant family… and when one of them was hurting, they all felt the pain.


End file.
